Burnsius communis
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Burnsius communis, the common checkered-skipper, formerly known as Pyrgus communis, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is known as the frequently seen Pyrginae species in the northern United States by collectors and watchers alike. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Checkered-Skipper sighting in Badlands National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 37 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Checkered-Skipper in Badlands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Checkered-Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Common Checkered-Skipper sightings, Badlands National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Glacier National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Common Checkered-Skipper that you can see in Badlands National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Variegated Fritillary (about 30%), Melissa Blue (about 20%) and Painted Lady (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Checkered-Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Badlands National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
